The Tangible Future
by alikat522
Summary: AU: Near the beginning of the war, a conversation between a Yeerk and an Arn changes the fate of the Empire forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Einden 728**

My name is Einden 728, of the Sar Pentak pool. I am a Yeerk living at the beginning of an era, the dawn of the Yeerk Empire. In the last few years, my people have completed more than had been dreamed of for the previous millennia. We have pulled ourselves out of the pools, thrown off the restraints set down by the Andalites, and moved forward to spread our name throughout the stars. And now, on this small broken planet with its trees reaching to the sky, we have discovered the key to our future.

I was an entry level guard on the Hork-Bajir planet, assigned to the mines. My assignment was to keep the Arn in line while they worked, drawing precious gems and metals out of the earth. With a strong female Hork-Bajir host (who referred to herself as Thak Rala in her whimpering internal monologues), I was able to complete my job easily. The small and stunted Arn were no match for the brutal beasts they had crafted. Save for the occasional trouble from the rebel Hork-Bajir, I was able to spend my time reflecting, thinking deeply about what a magnificent age I lived in.

One day, one of the Arn under my watch began to falter at its work. This was no strange occurrence; their small arms were not built to carry heavy stones. I flexed the muscles and sinews in my arms as I strode over to the Arn. I had my Dracon beam in my bandolier, but I preferred the more tangible, visceral means of execution. What use is having a body if one does not exercise it occasionally?

The Arn noticed my approach and knew what it meant. It cast about, looking for aid from its fellow slaves, but no other looked up from its work. The Arn scanned its surroundings; the other guards on duty had all conceivable methods of escape covered. Its eyes grew wide, its useless wings twitched in a futile attempt at flight, and it began to whimper in its wavering voice, softened further by old age and exhaustion.

"Please. No, please, do not kill me. I can do so much more for you. I'm not at my most useful in a mine. I can still serve you, I swear."

I stood over it and looked down at the pathetic form. I still got a pleasant thrill every time I was able to stand over something, tower over a smaller figure. It was one of the carnal pleasures of my life.

"What could you possibly do for me?" I asked the prostrate Arn. "What could a thing like you offer to something like me?"

Its small claws tapped together as it tried to come up with some offer that I would accept in exchange for its life.

"I am waiting. What do you have to offer me?"

The Arn looked up at me with its gem-like eyes, full of some desperate hope. It croaked out what could very well have been its last words.

"I can make you a body."

**(A/N: I got the idea for this fic from comments made by the reviewers Adam and Ifi at Cinnamon Bunzuh. Check out their reviews, there are some seriously good discussions and analysis.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Einden 728**

I chuckled and flexed the large muscle of my arm, flashing the blade in the daylight.

"I already have a body. A body that you should envy."

"The Hork-Bajir are only as good as they had to be. I could make you a better one."

"What could possibly be better than this?"

Despite its panic, the insolent Arn still took a moment to appraise my host body.

"How dexterous are your hands? The Dracon beams must be a struggle to fire."

My fist clenched involuntarily, bringing my awareness back to the cramp that had been growing for days.

"The hands of a Hork-Bajir are not designed for intricate detail work. If you want your engineering to reach a greater level of refinement, you will need to find hosts with better hands. I could make you one."

I looked around myself. All of the other guards were at too great a distance to overhear my conversation with the Arn.

"A new pair of hands is not enough to buy your life."

"What of eyes? Can you see behind you, like an Andalite? Do you have as many prehensile limbs as the Lerdethak? Can you fly, like us Arn? The Hork-Bajir are the pinnacle of utilitarian function. We Arn are capable of true art in the field of biological manipulation. I can craft you a body to put all other bodies to shame."

It was tempting. But there was one thing I needed to know in order to consider this Arn's offer.

"What of ears? Can you make better ears than those of a Hork-Bajir?"

The Arn did not pause over my question, but hurried to assent, clearly seeing my interest.

"The Hork-Bajir did not have any real need to hear. With no prey to hunt and no predators to hide from, their hearing was merely designed to be able to detect their own voices and language. The spectrum of audible frequencies could be extended immensely, in both directions. You could be able to hear the scratches of a chadoo in the trees from the depths of the Deep, if you were so inclined. There is practically no limit to what I could craft."

Sound. The ability to detect frequencies in the very environment around me. When I went through my training, the sound of my Gedd's breath and the sloshing of liquid in the pool was achingly beautiful.

But I had never known true bliss until I had infested my first host, an Ongachic minstrel. A musician. A creature that spent its life making beauty out of ambient noise.

If I could hear everything, what other glories could I discover?

The Arn was still quaking at my feet, the picture of subservience to my mighty form. But with the help of this insignificant thing, I could have a body stronger, faster, and more capable of sensing music than anything I had ever dreamed of.

Oh, what a beautiful time it was to be alive.

"Do not go to the slave quarters tonight, Arn. At sunset, I will come to you, and you will show me what you can create."


	3. Chapter 3

**Einden 728**

I spent the rest of the day in a state of excitement and apprehension. This potential situation with the Arn seemed too good to be true. Most likely, I would be led into a trap, drawn directly into an ambush of Hork-Bajir, led by the so called "seer" and its demented Andalite general. No, I would have to be clever about this. So I decided to enlist help.

I did not wish to go directly to my commander, Sub-Visser 11. I feared that I would be reprimanded for working outside of the bounds of my assignment. And of course, there was some appeal to being the first Yeerk to have its own body. A form created specifically to my designs.

I did, however, enlist the help of two of my compatriots. The first I told was one of my siblings, Einden 395. We had come up through training together, and as such, 395 was one of the only siblings that I knew personally.

The other Yeerk I brought along was Issiper 618, also of the Sar Pentak pool. Issiper was frankly too good of a mind to be wasted on guard duty, especially while still equipped with a Gedd body. But the powers that be had evidently seen a seditious streak in Issiper, and taken action accordingly. Too dangerous to promote and too intelligent to waste, Issiper would spend their life in flux. This was exactly the kind of Yeerk that I needed on my side, someone who could see the opportunity, as well as understand the reasons for not telling the Sub-Visser.

The three of us snuck out after the mine was closed for the night. Einden 395 was one of the guards on the night shift, so we were able to leave through the gap he had left. As long as we were back before the changing of the guard, we would be unlikely to be noticed. Our hosts would be running on less sleep the next day, but we would be able to manage.

Issiper slowed our mission down considerably, with their broken down host. Einden 395 finally became too impatient and picked up Issiper in their arms.

"728, help me carry her," they whispered.

Einden 395 had picked up a trait that I had never agreed with: referring to a Yeerk by the gender of their host. My own host was female, but I felt no resonance with the gender, with its strange instincts towards procreation. I was noticing more and more Yeerks using gendered pronouns, but it seemed unprofessional to me, if not downright dangerous. That was a level of connection with a host that I was not willing to indulge in.

Perhaps the Arn would be able to make my host as properly genderless as my own form.

We found the Arn tucked away within the mouth of the mine. Its presence would be noticed fairly soon, so we had to work quickly.

"So, Arn. You say that you can make me a body. How do you plan on going about that?"

The small thing looked around itself, checking for any listeners. I suppose it felt it was betraying its own kind. If only the other Arn could learn what compliance with the Yeerk Empire could do for them.

"My lab is within the Deep, but further north along the split. I believe that if I can reach it, I would be able to craft and grow a body specifically for you." It nodded towards Einden 395 and Issiper 618. "For all of you."

Issiper eyed the creature before them. "And-rrr what do you rrrecieve from this trade-rrr?"

The Arn bowed low, the picture of subservience. "A chance to increase my status in the eyes of the Yeerk overloads, of course."

Issiper chuckled, a gravely noise from the Gedd throat.

"Indeed. What-rrr is yourrr name, Arrrrn?"

The Arn seemed surprised at their question.

"My name is Quazajinizon."

"I am intrrrigued to rrr-see yourrr work, Quazajinizon."

The four of us set off in the direction of the lab, following the Arn. Einden 395 carried Issiper and made small talk about what manner of body they would prefer, but Issiper's eyes never left the Arn.

For myself, I was too caught up in dreaming to converse. A golden opportunity was before me, and I was ready to take it and make the absolute most of it.


End file.
